


rondo for 97 monsters

by StaraJMarie



Category: Cytus (Video Game), Deemo (Video Games)
Genre: Mention of blood, Not Beta Read, au where everyone is a monster person somehow, monster au, some achieve monsterness, some are born monsters, some have monsterness thrust upon them
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-06
Updated: 2017-10-07
Packaged: 2019-01-09 22:02:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12285264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StaraJMarie/pseuds/StaraJMarie
Summary: A collection of drabbles centering around the premise that all Rayark characters are monster people, and for whatever reason take place in the same universe. it just works, somehow.written for the Rayark discord, now shared with the rest of the world





	1. adjusting

**Author's Note:**

> for a quick guide on who is what, check [this list](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/328591257326583818/365975018414407680/image.png)
> 
> sorry y'all get like, no context on what's happening, the list above should help a bit

Consciousness came back to him in a gradual haze. First he felt the dull ache at two points on his back. Second was the gentle pull against something part of himself, yet unfamiliar all the same. Third was an echoing, resounding song that seemed to quell any distress he felt and bury any pain deep into the ground. Realization followed in the same way. He remembered he wasn't home, his home was burned to ashes and now he lives among the winged that many a village elder would warn against. Then remembered that his body was changing, accommodating to the magic that was used to let him live another day. Lastly he remembered that before he lost consciousness, his body felt like it was tearing itself apart, to make room for new limbs that would now be a part of him for as long as he walked the earth.

His new wings twitched with every point of contact, and the skin at the base of them felt raw and the ache felt like a warning to dare not to move them just yet. Meteo shifted his head to turn towards the singing voice, finding Leiv sitting at the bedside. Hers was one of the first few friendly faces he had encountered, and remains to be that way. She held a soft brush between her talons, running it through his wings and then occasionally dipping it into a bowl of water. Blood seemed to stain it when she did, and Meteo felt his face scrunching in disgust.

"It's not so bad as earlier," Leiv said, "Meteor had to fetch a new bowl."

Meteo shifted his gaze back to Leiv. She returned to singing once again, and any pain that came back with a vengeance seemed to fade away into a dull ache once again.

"My songs don't have much of an alluring effect on you anymore, now that you're one of us. It can still heal, all the same."

Either way, Leiv still looked like a goddess descended from the heavens (or maybe she really is one?). The crown on her head looked more like a halo adorning her face, and a bed of white roses was laced into her hair. He might have mistaken her for an angel if she was the one to rescue him, rather than the Phoenix.

He doesn't trust himself to talk just yet, and just lets himself settle into the bed as Leiv cleaned out his wings.

"They're beautiful," Leiv eventually breathes out. "Looks like spun gold, they do. Many a matriarch would be envious of them."

"What about you?" Meteo winced at the sound of his voice. It sounded hoarse and raw, no doubt from screaming his head off earlier.

"I would, had I not already possess wings such as my own. I am the highest matriarch of this village, you should know."

"They're pretty," Meteo says, mostly without thinking. Leiv breathes out a soft laugh, and says nothing more.

* * *

"So, a bit of a history lesson while we're walking," Viz says as he turns around, somehow knowing where to step as he walks backwards. They were climbing towards one of the shorter peaks in the mountains, mostly at Leiv's discretion. Surprisingly, Viz actually listened to what she said. ("It's only funny when _I'm_ the one risking getting their guts smeared on the rocks. I'm not a _complete_ asshole, jeez.") Meteo looks up at the Phoenix curiously, grateful that his newfound wings kept him steady on the unstable rock.

"About a...few thousand years ago? Back when you weren't even a concept in your mom and dad's minds, or before even the parents of your parents were even a concept. We, the harpies, kind of had this ancient war with the wingless. A.K.A, you guys, or what you used to be, and all." Viz waves off with a wing, "Anyway, I was their best soldier out there. Leiv too, I guess, but she does all that tactics stuff, not what I do. I was the best at what I do. Got in a lot of kills before I got killed, and then I'd just come back to life and then fight some more. It's pretty great." Meteo frowns at this, but Viz continues on.

"The thing is, not everyone can come back to life in a big ball of fire like me, so when there started to be too few of us still standing, we just knew that we weren't going to win this one out. Gotta know when to fold 'em, and all." Viz turns back around and continues walking forward. "Anyway, so that's why you never saw us around until just recently. We just kind of mind our own business while everyone else forgot about us. It's better that way, dunno what would happen when humans started noticing us again. Chaos, probably. Not that I don't mind, but there's more at stake than just me." He turns his head back to look at Meteo again. "But I mean, I'd still kick everyone's asses."

Meteo, if anything, seemed even more confused than before. "What does this have to do with teaching me how to fly?"

"It doesn't," Viz said. "I just wanted to brag."

* * *

"Were you there for that war? The one Viz and Leiv fought in."

Meteor paused and scrunched his nose in thought. "They fought in a lot of wars. I wasn't there in any of them." After a moment, he continued picking up more firewood. "I was born during that last one, so I don't remember anything that happened."

"Oh," Meteo said, "so this place—"

"It's all I knew. My birth parents were killed during that war, so the Matriarchs raised me." Meteor turned to Meteo, who now looked noticeably distraught. "I-it's fine now!" Meteor stammered, "I never really knew them, so I don't feel that sad." He frowned, "is that a bad thing?"

"Um, I dunno, it's just..." Meteo looks to the side, and shifts the bundle of sticks in his arms. "You're just like me, right?"

Meteor gives a small, sad smile, "I guess we are."

As they walked together back into the village, a more comfortable air settled between them. Something akin to kindred spirits. Neither of them seemed to mind.

"You'll be fine," Meteor said. "I'll make sure of it!"

Meteo smiles at this, an earnest, warm smile. "Thanks, Meteor."


	2. the old shrine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> alice and hans meet some old souls.

There were things he was learning about himself as he was forced into this new way of life. For one, standing in sunlight didn't make him feel weak, but rather he felt trapped. In the dark he felt boundless, free to come and go where he pleased(he actually tried that, once. Now he frequents the local concert hall on its orchestra days without spending a single coin.). To no one's surprise, his sister was more or less the opposite. She thrived in the sun and her mood seemed to sour when she went without it for too long. Additionally, she could not hide away into the darkness like he could, which made attempts to sneak her around the city with him all the more difficult.

That didn't stop Hans from trying, anyway.

One corner of the park sported a small wooded area, often secluded, making it the perfect place for Alice to run around freely. Poor girl, she got cabin fever easily, even with a mansion as expansive as theirs. Hans sat at a nearby tree with a notebook in hand, occupying himself with trying to compose a new piece. He hummed bits and pieces of various tunes, occasionally glancing up to watch if Alice was still faring fine. It would be a while before dinner, so he was in no particular rush.

"Brother!" Alice cried out, "Brother look!"

Hans stood up without another thought, and saw Alice in the distance— _when did she get so far away?_ —and waving something in her hand. He made his way to Alice in a brisk pace, and saw that what she held was a rather decorative hairpin.

"Look Brother! It's so pretty!"  
Alice held the hairpin delicately in her hands and indeed, it was very beautiful. In fact, despite it lying in the ground for who knows how long, there was not a single speck of dirt on it. It still glimmered as though it was brand new, and even gave a rather...otherworldly aura.

"It _is_ pretty, Alice. It looks like it was dropped pretty recently." Hans had an odd feeling, that whatever it was, he didn't want it touching his sister's head.

"Oh," Alice says. "Should we find its owner?"

Hans nods. "I think they're still around, let's go."

"Okay!" Alice looked around the area, and when she faced in one direction, the hairpin seemed to...glow? "I think we can find them that way!" She doesn't even spare the hairpin a single glance as she tugged on Hans' sleeve. Hans himself was more preoccupied at the _glowing hairpin_ rather than the impossible prospect of finding its owner, but he followed Alice all the same.

"Alice, how do you know where to go?" Hans asks after the third winding turn. Neither of them had traveled this deep into the wooded area, and he had no idea that it _could_ run this deep. Yet all the same, Alice seemed sure of where to find the hairpin's owner.

"I don't know," Alice says, "but I feel like it's right. I think this is where to find the owner!" Hans had no way of disputing that, so the two of them continued to press on. The woods seemed to get denser, but as it seemed like for sure they would be lost, Hans saw a cleared path among the trees, and with it, a stone path for them to walk. Alice kept on pulling on Hans' arm as they walked down the path, until the both of them froze in place at what was in front of them. A massive dragon was sleeping, curled up around a shrine as though it was protecting it. It seemed to be sleeping soundly, and Hans was perfectly fine with keeping it that way.

"Alice," he whispered, "we need to go."

"But what about the hairpin? I think the owner was here."

"We can look later. Just not with that around."

"But!" Alice spoke a pitch too high, and it was enough for the dragon to snap its eyes open and bare its teeth at the siblings. Fear kept both of their feet planted to the ground as the dragon rose to its own feet, growling and stepping closer to the two. It stared at them, as if evaluating their nature. At this, the hairpin flew out of Alice's hand, and towards the dragon. The small chimes on the pin rang lightly, as if saying something. The dragon only grumbled in response, its tone coming of as...slightly miffed?

After a moment, the dragon stepped back, crouching down as he seemed to shrink in size, many of his scales receding until it looked perfectly like a human man, save for the heavy horns on his head, the scales adorning his face like freckles, and the large tail hanging behind him. At the same time, the wind seemed to shift around the floating hairpin, gradually coalescing into a ghostly form of a young woman. Hans and Alice could only stare, and the woman laughed at their shocked expressions. The man, however, looked as though he was interrupted halfway through a beauty nap, and chances are, that probably was the case.

"I would have appreciated a warning, milady," the man grumbled.

"You would've declined either way, _O Sir Sanctimonious_ ," the woman replied, her voice sounding as though it echoed all around them.

"And for good reason." The supposed Sir Sanctimonious leans against the shrine, and sighs. He returns his focus to the two siblings, both of which still seemed to be very, very confused. "I apologize for my hostile behavior. As said, I am Sir Sanctimonious, however you can address me as Sanctity. I guard the shrine Lady Saika resides in."

"Uh," Hans stammered, "I'm Hans, and this is my sister, Alice." Alice herself took to hiding behind Hans' leg, only peeking her head slightly.

"A pleasure," Sanctity said. "Again, I apologize; milady is determined to have me reestablish contact with the outside world..."

"Just some visitors, that's all!" Saika swayed back and forth idly. "It would do some good to get some prayers and offerings around here. With enough money, we might get a fancier shrine!"

"Who is benefiting from this, again?"

This was going to be a long evening, Hans thought to himself.


End file.
